I Kings12:24 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

When I was young there were times when my mother or father would punish me. It didn’t always take the same form, but one thing I did notice was that other boys might do the same things I had done or worse, and my parents seemed to take no notice at all!

David had established the kingdom. Solomon had expanded it. But now Rehoboam comes to power and within three days it fractures. Ten of the tribes break away from Judah and Benjamin. Rehoboam decides to mount an army to quell the rebellion but God says, “no.” In fact, He tell them, paradoxically, that this was His plan.

It is too often held that, if I am a Christian, I will enjoy one blessing after another. My life will be social-media-ready and filled with #blessed images. This may be a common thought but it is not a Scriptural one. When we read the Bible we find that God is far more concerned with our holiness than He is with our happiness. Chasing happiness is not to be the pastime of the committed follower of God.

My mother and father did want me to be happy. But they were thinking in the long term. In the short term, to me, it might have seemed otherwise. God is much the same. The same God Who has told us of an eternal home He is preparing for us tells us to take up our cross and die daily. But #dead won’t trend on Instagram!

It was good that Rehoboam and the people listened to God that day and went back home. It was God’s plan. It was best.

God does love us. And God disciplines those He loves. He has a plan and it is best.

Blessings,

Pastor Russ